Topics Covered: Issues related to health.
Vaccine Passports:
Context:
Several types of coronavirus vaccination records, sometimes called “vaccine passports,” already exist, in paper and digital form. Hundreds of airlines, governments and other organizations are experimenting with them.
What is a “vaccine passport?”
It is an electronic record of vaccination, possibly in the form of a QR code, that is easily accessible through a smartphone or possibly stored on the device, though it could also be printed out. It is mostly used for International travel.
- In February 2021, Israel became the first country to introduce a certification system that allows those who have been vaccinated against Covid-19 to access certain facilities and events.
Challenges and criticisms:
- World Health Organisation (WHO) is against the introduction of Covid-19 vaccination proofs as a requirement for international travel.
- There are still critical unknown facts regarding the efficacy of vaccination in reducing transmission.
- There is also the lack of uniformity across jurisdictions in requirement and issuance of proofs of vaccination.
- Preferential vaccination of travellers could result in inadequate supplies of vaccines for priority populations considered at high risk of severe Covid-19 disease.
- There is a possibility that they would be used by authorities to track the movement of their holders. This may give rise to privacy concerns.
Sources: Indian Express.
